Wish You Were Here with Erica

It’s my turn back on the blog and I have a super simple but sweet card for you today.

In less than two weeks I will be moving, and not just to a new house but a new country, leaving lots of wonderful friends behind for a new adventure.

Being a “soppy poppy” (British expression for being soft-hearted and emotional) I am already missing everyone and want lots of hugs. With that in mind I made a card using Kobi the Birthday Bear because he looks so squeezable and cuddly. You might notice that this is my first ever card using this absolutely adorable bear and I haven’t got a single clue as to why I haven’t used him sooner, he’s so adorable I don’t know what to do with myself! Well, apart from stamping him up and colouring him in of course.

Using MFT hybrid ink in Black Licorice, I stamped him up on Strathmore Bristol Vellum water colour card stock but I didn’t heat emboss it for a change. Surprised?? I bet you are, lol! What won’t be so surprising is that I used my Zig markers for the colouring again. My aim was a soft, warm grey look, like a vintage teddy bear sort of. Once he was suitably coloured and dry, I used the Coordinating Die Set to cut him out.

***If you don’t have the stamp set but want both the stamp AND the die, there is a BUNDLE you can get. Let’s face it, it does save a huge amount of time to have the die instead of having to fussy cut each and every image. I’m not the most patient of people so these are a life-saver for me! ***

I wanted to keep this card very simple so I grabbed one of my new Distress Oxide inks, Picked Raspberry, and went to town with ink blending on a card base. I love the look of lifted ink so I splattered some water on it too and lifted that with a paper towel. Setting it aside to let it dry properly, I got the And The Fox Says stamp set out as I wanted to use the sentiment ‘Wish you were here’. This I stamped on a small white banner in black ink. I almost used pink again but thought it would be simply too soppy!

Putting the card together was simple enough. Until I started over-thinking it and decided that it was TOO simple. *insert shocked gasp here* Oh yes, I, Erica ‘Queen of Over-The-Top’ thought it needed something else. Can you keep up with the twists and turns??? It’s like a card making thriller, isn’t it?!

Anyway, time to tame the drama queen and get on with it! To keep with the pink theme of the card, I decided to add a single pink flower and make it look like Kobi offers it to the recipient. Before I managed to come up with any more radical ideas I got the Together We Bloom stamp set out and stamped up one of the blooms. I quickly coloured it with the Zigs again and fussy cut it out because I don’t have the coordinating die yet.

To put the whole thing together I cut a small slit in between Kobi’s paws and inserted the stem of the flower there and secured it on the back with foam tape. I did this both to stop if from sliding apart as well as adding some height to them when I adhered them to the card. At this point it was time to assemble the card and it took less than two minutes. I also added a few Sparkling Crystals to the card to add a subtle, but lovely, finishing touch.

So, all in all, for a simple card, I sure can make things rather complicated, can’t I? Oh Lordy, my card making process is anything but dull, I will give you that.

Well, that’s it from me for today. Happy crafting and see you soon again!